Vending machine



J. A. SATHER VENDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 17, 1925 INVENTOR. JAMES ASATHER G Y 1) W 1 v v 54 P ATTORNEYS.

Patented Get. 2, i928.

UNITED S'l-F'l" JAMES A. SATI-IER, F

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

VENDING M CHINE.

Application filed' August 17, 1925. Serial No. 50,671.

The present invention relates to improvements in vending machines and has particularreterence to an automatic vending machine adapted for dispensing gasoline at serv ice stations. It is proposed in the present invehtion to provide a vending machine of this character that will dispense a certain amount of gasoline or other liquid upon the insertion of a coin and in which provision is made for allowing the quantity dispensed in return torthe coin to be changed in 'accordancewith the fluctuations of the market priceoit the liquid. It the machine, for instance,is intended to be operated by inserting a one'dolla r piece means are provided for "opening a valve for certain length of time after the one dollar piece has been inserte'dso that gasoline is allowed to flow for that length of time, suitableme'ans being provided for maintaining a substantially constant headso that the total amount dispensed depends entirely upon the time during which the valve is open.

Since the market'price of gasoline or otherliquid for which the machine may be 'used' fluctuates, it might become necessary to cha'nge th'e amountjto be dispensed upon the insertion of a one "dollar piece and it is prof'jpos'ed in the present invention to provide means allowing the time period during which the valve is opened to be regulated. g

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the specification proceeds. g

' The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which'Figurel shows an end elevation of the entire mechanism, Figure2 apartly sectional view taken along line 2- 2 of Figured, Figfare 3 ah'orizontial sectiontaken along line 'o'tFigureQ and Figure a vertical section take jalon line 44 of Figure 3.

While I have shown only the preferred form of the invention, I wish to have it understood that various changes or modifications may be m'ade within the scope of the claims hereto attached without departing from the spirit of the invention. I

In its preferred form my device comprises the vessel 1which is preferably elevated so through the pipe and the hose?) into the gasoline tank of a motor vehicle or other recep have t in the supply pipe 7, undue rising of that gasoline or other liquid may how the level due to leakage in the valve '6 or other causes being ipe 8.

Where the hose 3. connects with the pipe 2 a fitting 9 is introduced which includes a valve 11 on the valve seat 12, the valve being'arranged to present a stem 1-3 which has a link 1% pivoted to the end thereof the free end of the link 1% being pivoted to a suspended link 16. The latter is normally. ptilled toward the valve fitting by means of a spring 17 which tends to keep the valve closed, A red 18 is threaded into the link 16 so as to eXtend-stibstanti'ally parallel to the valve stem into the path of a revolvably mounted element 19. The latter is arranged (fie-axially with asprin-g -m which tends to revolve the element 19 while a pawl 22 fixed to the shaft 23 is adapted to engage with any one of a plurality otnotches 24 in a second Wheel 26 mounted 'coeaXi-ally with the element 19 for p'r'eventihg the common shaft from revolving. The {shaft 23 on which thepawl 22 is fixedis provided with a crank hand '27 adapted to be operated b rai-sing thevertical rod 28 in a manner to be de scribed" hereinafter.

It will be seen from this description that when the rod 2 8 is raised, the pawl 22 i'slift'ed 'outot whatever notch it is engaged with and prevented by the overflow all'ow'sjth'e spring 21 to revolve the element 19 I which in the drawing is presented as having three arms with theredis extendingintothe path of oneof them. Asthe element-i 19 loegi'n's to rotate the arm 29 Iiftsthe rod 18 and thereby opens the valve 11', allowing fg asoline t'o flow therethrough; Thevaive remains open until the rod 18'd'ro'ps' eat of en- I .glagernent with the arm 5Z9 whereupon it is c 'ose'dby the spring 17. The period of'ti'me during which the valve remains open may be changed by adjiistihg-the threaded rod 18, the time being made longer when the rod 18 is screwed outi'var'dly and shorter when-the rod is screwed inwardly.

' fro are the pawl 22 in stopping the wheel26 when reaching the first notch thereon may.

he advisable to a ly a secondpaw'l 31 to a" wheel 32 on the shaft =33 which is operated from the shaft 20 'ot'the revolving'elernent '19 through reducing gears 34: and 36. A fan '37 on a shaft 38 receiving rotary motion from the shaft 33 through the gears '39 is adapted to reduce the speedolfthe'=sha'tt2@ andthe 1 revolving element 19. The 21 may lee wound by revolving the 'shatt EZO y of snit ahle key engaging the aa eal'ar end at thereof, a spring 42 allowingthe element 19 to be pushed inwardly out of the path of the rod 18.

The vertical rod 28 terminates at its lower 6 end in a wedge 43 which is normally forced downward by the spring 44. The same may be raised by the slide 46 arranged on the plat form 47 and normally drawn backward by the spring 48 on the pin 49 which rides in a slot in the slide. Therear end of the slide terminates in a semi-circular opening 51 adapted to accommodate within the confines thereof the particular coin for which the device is designed as, for instance, a one dollar piece. A second slide'52 is arranged on the Same platform and provided with a similar recess 53 in the front end thereof so that a one dollar piece may be placed on the platform in front of the slide 52, pushed forward into engagement with the slide 46 whereupon on further forward motion it will force the slide 146 under the wedge'43 and thereby raise the rod 28 for thepurpose previously described. The platform 47 is provided with a gate 54 hinged to the platform as shown at 56 with aspring 57 serving to normally close the gate. The latter is formed with an opening 58 sufficiently large to allow a smaller coin to drop therethrough while a one dollar coin may ride on the edges ofthe openin .7 In this manner provision ismade that on yv theproper coin will operate the device. When the slide 46 has been slid forwardly by the aid of the one'dollar piece and through the chain of connections previously described has released the revolving element 19 one of V the arms of the latter depresses a lever 59 ivoted to astandard 61 and connected with ts free. end to a plunger 62 adapted to bear 40.

" by thelatter is opened and allows the coin to drop therethrough. A guard 64 overlying the slide 46 guides the upper faceof the coin. The operation of the device is as follows:

of gasoline places a one dollar piece on the platform 47 in front of the slide 52 and pushes the latter, forward whereby the one dollar piece is pushed against the rear face of the slide 46 and pushing the latter ahead raises the rod 28. This causes the shaft 23 to be revolved whereby the two pawls 31 and 22 are disengaged from the wheels 32 and 26 respecti-vely, so that the wheel 26, and with it theelement, 19 are free to revolve under the influence of. the spring 21. While thus revolving the arm 29 raises the rod 18 of the valve mechanism .and opens the latter so as tolallow gasoline to fiow through the tube intothe gasoline tank of a motorv vehicle. The speed of the revolving element 19 is re duced through the chain of reduction gears and the fan 37. Thevalve 11 remains open until the rod 18 drops from the arm 29 and a this period of time can be regulated by adadjustable to allow the valve period to be regdown on an extension 63 of the gate 54 where- A person desiring to buy a dollars worth justing the rod 18 in the'suspended link 16. The revolving of the element 19 further causes the lever 59 to be depressed whereby the gate 54 isopened and the one dollar piece allowed to drop into the container provided for the same. The spring 57 automatically closes the gate as the pressure of the arm is released. When the element 19 has revolved sufficiently far for the pawl 22 to reach the second notch 24, the pawl will engage with the same and stop the revolving motion."v The pawl 22 is hereby aided by the pawl 31 which may be arranged to arrest the progress of the wheel 32 at each revolution thereof in the wel known manner of a clock mechanism. I

Having. described myinvention, what I claim is:

1. In a liquid vending device of the character described, a control valve, an operating mechanism adapted tobecome active for a 35 predetermined period of time upon the insertion of a coin, an operative connection between the mechanism and the valve for operating the latter, the latter connection being ulated independently of that of the-mechanism, said. operating mechanism comprising between the revolving element and the valve made for operating the latter for a period independent of the period of the revolving element.

3. In a liquid vending device of the character described, a control valve, an operating mechanism including a revolving element; means to actuate said revolving element, means to arrest the motion of the element, means for rendering the revolving means active for a predetermined period upon the insertion of acoin; and an operative connection between the revolving element and the valve for operating the latter, made adjustable so as to allow the valve period to be regulated independently of the period of the re- 0.

volving element. I

4. In a liquid vending machine, a valve control comprising an axially movable valve, an operating link pivoted thereto, a suspended link pivoted with its free end to the operating link having a rod extending therefrom, spring means tending to close the valve; a revolving element engaging with the rod for a predeter mined period for operating the valve, spring means tending to revolve said revolving els ment, and releasable means to arrest the revolving motion of said element.

same, a pivoted element mounted for engagement with the revolving element for arresting its revolving motion, a vertical rod adapted to operate the pivoted element for releasing the revolving element, a sliding Wedge and means cooperating with an inserted coin for engaging the wedge with the rod whereby the latter is lifted.

6. In a device of the character described, an operating element having a wedge-shaped bottom, a slide engageable therewith for raising the operating element and coin-controlled means for advancing the slide.

7. A device as defined in claim 6 in Which 1 a trap door is provided below the slide and in which means areprovided for opening the trap door when the coin has advanced the slide.

8. In a device of the character described, a dispensing valvefan operatingelement for the same, coin-controlled means rendering the latter active, a coin trap comprising a gate operatively associated with the coin-controlled means so as to be actuated thereby for opening the gate thus dropping the coin when the same has performed its function,

and means to hold said gate in closed position. a

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAMES A. sATHER. 

